Kalonzo acts as Ngilu’s lead lawyer during NCIC questioning
Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka led several Kamba MPs in showing solidarity with Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu as she presented herself for questioning at the National Cohesion and Integration Commission.
Mr Musyoka is the lead counsel in Mrs Ngilu’s team of six lawyers defending her against allegations of inciting youths to violence in her crackdown on illegal charcoal trade in Kitui County.
The former Vice president showed up alongside MPs Daniel Maanzo (Makueni), Makali Mulu (Kitui central), Patrick Makau (Mavoko) Joshua Mwalyo (Masinga), Danson Mwashako (Wundanyi) and Makueni speaker Douglas Mbilu, among others.
Also escorting the governor were dozens of members of county assemblies from Kitui, Machakos and Makueni counties.
Last week, Mr Musyoka said the Wiper party supports Mrs Ngilu ban on charcoal trade in the region because the measures are meant to safeguard the environment and roll back the consequences of climate change.
The two leaders who have been political rivals for many years close ranks since Mrs Ngilu parted ways with Jubilee leadership and have been working together under the opposition National Super Alliance.
INCITED YOUTH
NCIC summoned Mrs Ngilu for interrogation and investigation on allegations that she incited youth to burn lorries transporting charcoal in the county.
The Governor has been on a heated campaign to end illegal charcoal business in the county.
However, her efforts against illegal sand and charcoal business seams to take new turns everyday as residents continue taking the law into their hands.
A group of young people from Mwingi have taken up the matter and they have been intercepting lorries ferrying charcoal in the county.
Two weeks ago, more than 100 bags of charcoal were burnt down in Mui, Mwingi Central Sub-County after a group of youths intercepted a lorry ferrying the commodity, offloaded the charcoal and put the bags on fire.
The incident happened just a few days after a lorry belonging to a businessman from Kiambu was torched at Kanyonyoo in Kitui while ferrying charcoal.
This elicited a lot of uproar from Kiambu businessmen who have been protesting Governor Ngilu’s actions terming them as aimed at undermining a certain community doing business in Kitui.
Mr Ngilu has denied claims that the fight on charcoal burning targeting a particular community.
She said it is aimed at protecting the ecosystem of the county and improving the environment by increasing tree cover in Kitui.